The RESONANS festival, held in Copenhagen, Denmark, operates as a comprehensive artistic research project that critically examines the intersections of multimedia arts, community engagement, and cultural diversity. By establishing a dynamic circular process, the festival acts as a platform for multimedia and multicultural dialogue, facilitating meaningful exchanges among artists, scholars, and community members.
This exposition aims to provide an in-depth analysis of the festival’s methodology and developmental trajectory, placing particular emphasis on its iterative process and agile project management strategies. These methodologies enable the festival to adaptively respond to participant feedback and emergent artistic expressions, thereby fostering an environment that promotes innovation and inclusivity.
In addition, the RESONANS festival addresses significant themes, including humanity's relationship with the environment and the diversification of the Nordic cultural landscape. Through a series of curated events, workshops, and performances, the festival invites participants to engage in critical discussions surrounding ecological consciousness and cultural representation. By creating opportunities for dialogue that resonate with both local and global contexts, the festival establishes a supportive platform for knowledge sharing and artistic collaboration.
Ultimately, the RESONANS festival exemplifies the transformative potential of artistic research as a means of addressing contemporary societal challenges. It highlights the importance of fostering collaborative networks that enrich cultural discourse and contribute to a more nuanced understanding of our shared human experience. The insights gained from this project not only contribute to the field of artistic research but also resonate with broader discussions about the role of art in fostering community engagement and social change.
ARTIST / CURATORIAL STATEMENT:
In 2023, I completed my MFA in Performing Arts with a project titled Ecology of Artistic Research, an exploration of how artistic research can respond intuitively to the environment, culture, and the unique challenges facing practitioners today. This project took me across the Nordic region, where I engaged in dialogues with artists, educators, and institutions about the role of artistic research in shaping sustainable and meaningful practices.
It can be read here:
https://www.researchcatalogue.net/view/2081778/2081726
These conversations highlighted the need for models of artistic expression that do not emphasize new production, but rather the reevaluation, recontextualization, and transformation of existing work within community spaces. This realization inspired me to curate and organize the RESONANS festival.
The motto of RESONANS—"The product is the process, the process is the product"—reflects my belief in an iterative, circular approach to artistic creation, one that fosters continuous engagement with art, rather than a linear trajectory of production. The festival itself is conceived as an artistic research project: a series of containers for dialogue and exchange through multimedia art, designed to sustain both the environment and the cultural economy. Rather than encouraging the production of new work, I sought to create a platform that invites artists to reexplore their existing projects in fresh ways and engage in collective conversations.
The concept of a circular and reproducible structure is central to my vision of a sustainable artistic practice. I aim to provide a flexible, adaptable model for fringe festivals or cultural events that can be implemented in diverse contexts without significant environmental or financial strain. Each day of RESONANS serves as a container for specific artistic expressions, but the overall design allows for fluidity, spontaneity, and organic participation. By transforming common spaces into interactive hubs for art, the festival encourages audiences to engage with artistic practice not as passive observers but as active participants.
In essence, RESONANS is a framework for rethinking the role of festivals and artistic gatherings, promoting sustainability and inclusivity, while challenging the traditional models of artistic production and consumption. By encouraging the curation of existing work and the activation of shared spaces, I aim to create a sustainable model for future artistic events that prioritize community, dialogue, and long-term engagement.
Through RESONANS, I hope to demonstrate the power of recontextualizing artistic work within local communities, building stronger networks between artists and audiences, and fostering conversations that transcend disciplinary boundaries. This curatorial approach offers a sustainable model of artistic production and collaboration, grounded in the values of environmental consciousness, cultural diversity, and collective engagement.
-Elizabeth Torres.